What’s the scoop on whale poop? This probably isn’t a question you think about every day—or ever! But in the scientific research world of marine biology (the study of ocean life), a lot of people think about this question 24-7! Why? Well, it turns out that you can learn a lot about whales, many of which are endangered animals, by their poop, or as it is scientifically called, feces. One of the most obvious things that can be learned from whale feces is what the whale likes to eat. This is important, as changes in the health or number of plants and animals that whales eat can affect the number of whales that live in the oceans. Depending on what a whale likes to eat, whale feces can be brown to even a bright orange color. Scientists are also able to learn a lot more about whales from their feces than what they like to have for lunch. They can also learn where they like to dine, if they have been eating food that contains pollutants (harmful chemicals), who a whale’s parents are, and even if a female whale is pregnant! That’s a lot of detail from something that come out of a whale’s rear end!

Now that you realise how darn interesting whale poop is, how do you go about tracking some down for yourself? Hire a boat and head out to the open ocean and hope for the best? It turns out that researchers have already tried that and didn’t have all that much success. After all, it’s a mighty big ocean out there!  So whom did they turn to for help? The same pooches that sniff out drugs and dangerous materials in airports… sniffer dogs! Yep, it’s true. A good sniffer dog can smell whale feces from up to a mile away.  After that, it’s up to scientists to go collect the feces before they sink to the bottom of the ocean. Whale farts (yes, they exist!) are a little trickier to catch… and boy do they smell!